The Church Today

Sunday Worship

St Margaret’s is a fantastic historical site and home to a vibrant church community.
We join for Holy Communion at 11am every Sunday morning.
On the first Sunday of the month, we stay together as All Ages throughout the service.
On other weeks the children spend time together in Dove Club.

After the service we enjoy refreshments in the Café as we spend time together as a Church family.

Midweek Worship and Prayer

We meet for Holy Communion in the Lady Chapel at 12:30pm every Thursday.

The church is normally open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays between 11am and 2pm for private prayer in the Lady Chapel. Please come in through the Centre door.

Our Beautiful Church Building

You can find out more about our wonderful church building here. If you are visiting the church you can use this as a guide

The Church: An Overview

The parish church of St. Margaret of Antioch Virgin and Martyr is a Grade I listed building dating back to 1215.The church is the living continuation of Barking Abbey, sharing a joint history for centuries.

St. Margaret’s has served the town of Barking as a centre of religious worship, education, and community for eight centuries. In that time we have seen, periods of unrest, the Black Death, the Reformation, the Great Plague, the Civil War, industrialisation, and two World Wars. Much history is contained within these walls.

Looking east towards the altar you can see the leaning chancel, the oldest part of the church dating back to 1215. Fragments of the North Aisle and parts of the South wall also date from the thirteenth century. The main body of the church dates from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, with the bell tower the last feature to be added. The St Margaret’s Centre, on the south side of the church, was officially opened by John Waine, Bishop of Chelmsford in 1991 and commissioned by George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury the following year.

Looking west towards the back of the church, you will notice the ornate font which dates from the Spanish Armada (1588), and is said to have been given to St. Margaret’s by grateful sailors as a gift to God for ensuring their safe passage through the battle. Designed by Jessie Jack, daughter of Arts and Crafts figure George Jack.

The church was extensively remodelled at the instigation of Bamber Gascoygne in 1772.The Gascoygne family were one of the most important land owning families in the area, and Bamber himself was known locally as ‘The King of Barking’. At this time the ceiling, arches and columns were encased in plaster. This configuration lasted until 1842 when the columns and arches were stripped of their plaster and the capitals lowered to their original positions, restoring the beauty of the pre- 1772 architecture. The medieval timber roof was revealed for the first time in centuries and was found to be in generally good condition.

Traces of the original medieval painted interior can be seen preserved on the chancel arch. It is presumed that these were once part of a much larger representation of ‘The Doom’ painted on a tympanum stretched across the arch. On the left bracket you can make out spires and minarets, while on the right a female figure is riding a panther like animal, clutching its’ tail in one hand and a flagon in the other. The spires on the left are thought to represent heaven, while the female figure represents gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins.

At one time the church would have had a rood loft in this space, with a representation of the crucifixion of Christ mounted to or hanging from it. The present screen beneath the chancel arch is a Victorian addition to the church fabric, given in memory of Phillip Marriot, a young man lost at sea.

The North Aisle

The North Aisle (late 15th / early 16th century) is thought to have been built in three sections. The earliest section in the centre was extended westward and then eastward towards the Lady Chapel.

The fine timber roof – according to a longstanding local tradition – is the work of local shipwrights due to its resemblance to an upturned wooden vessel. Barking was an important fishing port for many years.

A large section of this roof was damaged by fire in 1994.The subsequent repairs and restoration reused as much of the original timbers as possible with the scorch marks in some places still apparent.

Heading west, you can see some of the fine monuments embedded in the North Wall of the church. In the furthest corner is the funerary monument of Sir Crisp Gascoygne (d. 1762) who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1753 and was the first incumbent to live in the Mansion House. Sir Crisp married Margaret, the daughter of Dr John Bamber, whose funerary monument is to the right of his own.

In the centre of the Outer North Aisle, you will find the altar tomb of William Pownsett (d. 1553). He was the steward of the Abbey at the time of the Dissolution and received the advowson – the right to appoint a vicar – of the Parish of Barking.

Today, the right of advowson is vested in the Warden and Fellows of All Souls College, Oxford. Pownsett himself was a graduate of All Souls College, and the tomb was restored using a grant by the Fellows in the eighteenth century.

Beneath the Pownsett Tomb is the crypt, formerly used as a bone chute for the churchyard. The bone chute allowed access to an ossuary, where the skeletal remains of the deceased were eventually placed, thus freeing up space in the churchyard.

The Lady Chapel and Pipe Organ

At the eastern end of the North Aisle, you will find the Lady Chapel. It is thought to be the newest area of the North Aisle, dating from the middle part of the fifteen-century This area is set aside for quiet prayer.

The stained-glass window that dominates the chapel dates from 1913. It was given to the church in memory of Elizabeth Ann Martin by her son. It portrays the crucifixion of Christ and is symbolic of sacrificial love.

At either side of the window two very important local saints are depicted. To the left is St Erkenwald (c. 630 – 693) and to the right is St Cedd (620 – 664). Both men were instrumental in the conversion of the East Saxons to Christianity in the seventh century, and both served as Bishop of London. Cedd started his mission from the coast and made his way inland. whilst Erkenwald started near the East Saxon capital of London and worked his way towards the coast. Cedd founded many churches along the way and two large monasteries at Tilaburg and Ithancester – modem day Tilbury and Bradwell-on-Sea respectively. Erkenwald founded the two great Benedictine abbeys of Saxon England: Barking (666) For his sister Ethelburga and Chertsey (661) for himself. Erkenwald died in 693 in Barking Abbey as the incumbent Bishop of London; he was buried at St Paul’s Cathedral where his tomb was a popular place of pilgrimage during the Middle Ages. The tomb, along with many others. was destroyed during the Reformation as idolatrous. All traces of St. Erkenwald’s tomb were lost during the Great Fire of London (1666).

To the north wall of the Lady Chapel is the magnificent memorial to Captain John Bennett, his wife Mary Bennett and their son Captain John Bennett Jr. whose ornate tomb can be seen in the churchyard. The tomb of the elder John and Mary is located at the rear of the Lady Chapel.

The Hewett Window is dedicated to the memory of it, Fishermen of Barking and was paid for by the Hewett family owners of the Short Blue Fishing Fleet and now the Fresh Wharf Development.

The Scottish born Scrymgeour Hewett married into the Whennel family, assisting his father-in-law James with his two fishing smacks. The second Hewett son. Samuel, was destined to be a banker, but ran away from home during his father’s absence at the Napoleonic Wars. At the age of fourteen Samuel was apprenticed to an experienced fisherman and became a captain in 1818. By this time. the fishing port of Barking had grown to a fleet of around seventy smacks, crewed by hundreds of local men and boys.

By 1833 the Barking fishing fleet had grown to one hundred and twenty vessels of varying size, ten of which belonged to the Hewett family. The Hewett’s Short Blue Fleet took its name from its distractive, square blue ensign flown. The predominant type of fishing vessel to be found in Barking at this time was the welled smack, taking its name from the ‘well’ of water within the body of the ship designed to keep the fish alive. These were first developed in the early eighteenth century, and were arguably one of the greatest technological advancements in the fishing industry.

A typical fishing voyage in the 19th Century from Barking to Iceland, when the men would fish three times, would have taken around fourteen weeks, depending on the weather.

Samuel Hewett recognised that the traditional way of fishing was uneconomic and so Introduced the system called fleeting. The new method was incredibly successful and the Short Blue Fleet had increased to around fifty vessels in 1844.

Ice to pack the fish was harvested from the marsh lands surrounding Barking and, from 1847, was stored in purpose-built ice houses in the Town Quay By 1860 it was thought that every Barking family had at least one member involved in the lucrative fishing trade, as fishermen. ships chandlers, shipwrights or sail makers.

By the second half of the nineteenth century the fishing port of Barking was on the decline due to the pollution of the River Thames and the expansion of the railways. A powerful storm in 1863 took the lives of over sixty Barking fishermen and boy apprentices off the coast of the Netherlands and cost the Short Blue Fleet in excess of £6,000. Shortly after the disaster the Short Blue Fleet relocated to Gorleston on the Norfolk coast.

Tombs of the Hewett Family can be found in the churchyard, and Scrymgeour Hewett’s home at Fawley House can still be seen in East Street. It is one of the oldest existing houses in Barking, dating to the 1840s.

Beneath the Hewett Window is a twelfth century stone tablet commemorating Maurice the Bishop of London (1085 -1108) and Alfgiva the Abbess of Barking at the time of the Norman Conquest. It was Alfgiva who sheltered the newly crowned William the Conqueror after violence erupted at his coronation in Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day. 1066. William sought a safe place to stay while his fortress – now the keep of the Tower of London – was being constructed. The great Abbey was close to London, accessible by river, and offered the new king the protection he and his court needed. William stayed at Barking for three months before returning to Normandy in March 1067.

Upon his departure to Normandy, the king bestowed royal patronage on Abbess Alfgiva and Barking Abbey, a royal connection that persisted for centuries. He gave Alfgiva ‘my peace and love, and all my right within and without the burgh as fully as an abbess in that monastery of St Mary had them in the time of King Edward’.

The large pipe organ dominates the area of the church between the Lady Chapel and the main altar. The gilded pipes of the facade date back to around 1770, and belonged to the original organ installed by Byfield and Green. The organ was substantially reconstructed by J.W. Walker & Sons in 1855 and in 1888 underwent a major reconstruction. replacing most of the original eighteenth and nineteenth century mechanisms. In 1991 the console was converted to a fully electronic operation.

Facing the organ are the church wardens’ pews The Parish of Barking originally had four churchwardens; the Vicars’ Warden, the Town Warden, the Country Warden and the Ilford Warden, When Ilford became Its’ own parish in 1830 the position of Ilford Warden became obsolete. St. Margaret’s have been allowed to follow the tradition of three church wardens, while many churches now have only two.

The embroidered cushions on the church warden’s pews were installed in 1965, Mrs Josephine Wakeling, wife of Prebendary Denis Wakeling, Vicar of Barking, organised a group of women – plus one man – from the parish to work on the embroidery which tells the story of our church as well as our parish and those associated with it. On the church warden’s cushions, you will find representations of the Curfew Tower – the gateway to Barking Abbey and the only part still standing; the Leet House, Barking’s early courthouse demolished in 1923; Eastbury Manor House – a fine Tudor built National Trust property in nearby Upney; and the Ilford Hospital Chapel – a leper hospital founded by Abbess Adelisa. The curate’s pew has a depiction of Revd Wakeling, whilst the Vicar’s pew depicts the first recorded Vicar of Barking, Martinus. The embroidery in the Fishermen’s Chapel contains many images taken from the Fishermen’s Window.

The Chancel and Sanctuary

The chancel screen is Victorian and was given in memory of Phillip Marriott a young man who was lost at sea off the south coast of New Zealand, aged nineteen.

The chancel itself dates to the early thirteenth century and has been acknowledged as the oldest part of the church. It has changed greatly over its eight-hundred-year history with various alterations and redecoration taking place as fashions changed. The ceiling matched the original decorations in the nave. This is dated to the tail end of the eighteenth century, probably 1770.

The window over the main altar, depicting the Last Supper, dates from the significant repairs carried out to the church in 1848. It was donated by Revd Robert Liddell, who served as Vicar of Barking between 1836 and 1851.
The two lancet windows on the north side of the Sanctuary were opened in 1842 and left as niches. Opposite a large recess with brick mouldings was also discovered. It is believed that this was used as an Easter Sepulchre-an arched recess where, between Good Friday and Easter Monday, Christ’s entombment and resurrection were commemorated. Nearby a piscina on a Norman shaft was also discovered. The piscina – from the Latin word for fish pond and, later, a pool for bathing – was used for the washing of communion vessels.

To the right-hand side of the altar is St. Paul’s banner The church of St Paul was in Ripple Road, Barking and was destroyed by enemy action on Sunday 14th January 1945.The priest in charge, Reverend N.O. Porter was just finishing prayers, and the choir were divesting themselves of their cassocks as the V2 Rocket landed close by. Eight parishioners were killed and fifty-two injured. Rev. Porter had a very lucky escape, avoiding harm among the falling masonry, as the walk and roof of his church collapsed around him. After removal of the bodies of those who perished workers returned to save St. Paul’s valuables. The altar furniture and drapery were retrieved from the wreckage almost undamaged.

After the war, the rescued items were entrusted to St Margaret’s, as were the remaining members of St. Paul’s congregation. St. Margaret’s Church Hall was built on the site in 1955. and taken over by the council 1992.The renamed Ripple Hall carries a plaque dedicated to the memory of those lost on that fateful Sunday in 1940.

One of the finest pieces of medieval art in St Margaret’s is the large stone engraved with a representation of Martinus, the first recorded Vicar of Barking from 1315.

Beneath the Montagu memorial is the Bishop’s Chair or cathedra. This was presented to Bishop Thomas Stevens, the first Bishop of Barking. by the congregation of the Hospital Chapel of St Mary & St Thomas of Canterbury, Ilford in 1901.
Other monuments in the Sanctuary commemorate the Bertie family, who left a substantial amount of money to the poor of Barking, ad well as the Communion plate and silver to our church.

Hidden from view, under the Sanctuary carpet, are several fine memorial stones and three memorial brasses dating from 1480, 1493 and 1596 respectively. Other smaller brasses are in the Nave (1593) and the North Aisle (1485).

The Chancel along with the Lady Chapel and the Fishermen’s Chapel. were extensively repaired and restored under the supervision of Charles Canning Winmill between 1928 and 1930. He was assisted George Jack (1855-1931), a well-known figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and an employee of William Morris & Co.

The Fishermen’s Chapel (or Youth Chapel) and the South Aisle

Scare beautiful examples of George Jack’s work can be seen around the Fishermen’s Chapel, also known as the Youth Chapel. Above the entrance to the clergy vestry you will see eight carved figurines mounted on the screen. The first statue, closest to the sanctuary. is Captain James Cook, the Royal Navy captain who was the first European to land in Australia. He married Elizabeth Batts here on 21st December 1762 under special licence. The Cook family name died out in subsequent generations as none of-the six children had families of their own.

Directly above the screen door is Elizabeth Fry, the philanthropist and social reformer. A prominent Quaker, she regularly visited and gave sermons at the Friends Meeting House in North Street. Fry passed away aged sixty five in Ramsgate, and her body was returned to Barking for burial. There is little to see of the Quaker Burial Ground in North Street (the Fry headstone having been moved to Wanstead) but her mortal remains and those of many others are still present.

Walk behind the choir stalls for a better look at the remaining six figures. The first is St Ethelburga, her inscription barely legible. She was the first Abbess of Barking, appointed by her brother St Erkenwald. St Ethelburga was buried in the Saint’s Chapel. the location of which can still be seen in the Abbey Ruins.

The remaining five figures represent fishermen, going the chapel one of its accepted names. ln the centre is St Nicholas, the patron sent of youth, which explains the second of the chapel’s dedications. He is flanked by the two biblical fishermen who became disciples -St James and St. John. casting their nets. Either side of the apostles are two modern fishermen. dressed in the attire of the 1920s.

The Fishermen’s Window carries many nautical motifs. At the base of the window are the names and representations of the four evangelists -Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The middle section of the window depicts a Short Blue fishing boat at sea and the hive of activity around the Town Quay when the catch returned. ln the distance the church tower of St Margaret’s can be seen rising above the warehouses on the quay.

The painting above the altar is entitled ‘Early in the Morning’ and is painted by Revd Alan Stewart. It depicts Jesus sitting by the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection preparing a meal for his followers. It is a striking illustration of the rich diversity of Barking and the St Margaret’s congregation in the twenty-first century. If you look very closely on the right-hand side, you may be able to make out a representation of the late Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks. The painting was given to St Margaret’s in memory of Patricia Joyce Osborne by her family in 2005 and has been displayed ever since.

Moving westwards towards the rear of the church, you will notice an icon hanging on the right-hand side, near the pulpit. It depicts Jesus blessing the children and was painted by the famous Swedish iconographer Kjellaug Nordsjo in 2005. It was given to the people of St Margaret’s by the Parish of Kristenhamn. Sweden.

Moving further west down the south aisle you will notice the box pews which once ran the whole length of this wall. Behind the box pews is a large stained-glass window dating from the turn of the twentieth century. In the top left corner is depicted St. Margaret of Antioch, to whom our parish church is dedicated, in the middle is the Virgin Mary, with the infant Christ, and in the top right is St Alban, the first British saint, martyred by the Romans for his faith. During the time this window was commissioned, St Margaret’s was part of the Diocese of St Albans, which explains his prominence in the window.

On the right hand the of the centre doorway is a large coat of arms painted on wood. These are the coat of arms of the Municipal Borough of Barking Council, granted in 1931 Note the presence of the Curfew Tower at the top of-the arms. They were replaced in 1965, upon the foundation of the London Borough of Barking. Dagenham was only formally added to the title in 1980.

The fine monument to the right is dedicated to Sir Orlando Humphreys. a local landowner. A finely carved bust of Humphreys can be seen flanked by two cherubs, beneath his epitaph.

The Clergy Vestry and Parish Registers

The Germ Vestry is situated behind the screen in the south-east corner of the church. It dates to the Tudor period and was refitted in 1698 at the expense of Robert Bertie of Cranbrook. Adorning the walls of the Vestry are photographs of all the Vicars of Barking from 1870, and all the Bishops of Backing. Other artwork here depicts incumbent Vicars that have been invested as Diocesan Bishops, most notably a large representation of Henson Bishop of Durham. An anomaly lien with the official portrait of the Most Reverend and Right Honourable George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury (1991 -2002). Carey lived locally and attended primary school in Dagenham and secondary school in Barking, before leaving aged fifteen.

The Parish Registers, traditionally held in the Vestry, date back to 1858.The only omission from the continuous record is the period of unrest during and after the Civil War. The Parish Registers are priceless, and an irreplaceable first-hand account of the history of the Parish of Barking and of matters of national importance. Due to the huge volume and importance of the Parish Registers. only the nose recent editions are kept at St. Margaret’s, the remainder being transferred to the Essex Record Office in Chelmsford.

One of the most famous entries in the Parish Registers is the marriage of Captain James Cook to Elizabeth Batts on 21st December 1762. A copy is displayed in the Fishermen’s Chapel, along with other research relating to Cook. Captain Cook was born in Marton Yorkshire n 1728 and enjoyed a successful career firstly in the Merchant Nagy. then in the Royal Navy. Elizabeth Batts was the daughter of Samuel Batts, publican at the Bell Inn Wapping, an area Cook knew very well. The marriage of one of the most important figures of the Royal Navy in his lifetime is a testament to the importance of Barking dung the period.

The other interesting entries in the Marriage Registers take place in 1918 and 1945. Young men from the area had been at war for four or six years respectively and upon their return, many were eager to marry the fiancée they had left behind. It was not uncommon for three weddings to take place simultaneously, one at the main altar and another two in the side chapels. Fortunately for the vicar he would have had three curates to assist him! The Burial Registers shed light on the suffering of Barking during the Great Plague The average number of burials in our churchyard annually was around 70 before the Plague. In 1664 there were 68 burials, which soared to 234 in 1665 and 230 in 1666 The number of burials gradually decreased after 1667.

The Bell Tower

The bell tower, at the west end of the church, contains a ring of eight bells which are rung on a regular basis. The ringing chamber is on the first floor of the tower and is accessed by a narrow spiral staircase.

The bells range in date from 1871 to 1911.

The No.3 bell was re-cast at the famous Whitechapel bell foundry in 1977, as several attempts to tune it had fallen short. The new bell was renamed The Jubilee Bell to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Churchyard

The churchyard and the Abbey Ruins have been maintained by the Local Authority since 1930 as an open space which contains many interesting tombs and monuments.

As you enter beneath the Curfew Tower, you will notice the white painted tomb of Thomas Nepton and his wife Anne. The tomb was restored in 1825 after an inspection by the Worshipful Company of Poulters found it in an advanced state of decay. The tomb is maintained by them to this day.

The connection between Barking and the Worshipful Company of Poulters dates to the death of Ann Nepton in 1728. Her will left the majority of the Nepton estate, including property in the City of London, to the Poulters. The money raised was to provide for the poor of the Parish of Barking and the Parish of St. Botolph, Aldgate. The tradition of giving alms to the elderly poor of Barking by the Poulters continues to this day, and is the second longest continuous charitable distribution, second only to the monarch’s distribution of Maundy Money on Maundy Thursday.

Scattered around the churchyard are the graves of some of the most important Barking families – Hewett, Jackson, Leftley, Parson, Glenny – as well as Captain John Bennett. Since 2014, the Bennett tomb, to be found slightly west of the distinctive white Nepton tomb, has been listed by Historic England for its significance and design.

Captain Bennett was not a native of Barking, but was born in Poole, Dorset in 1670. He followed his father, John Sr, into the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of captain by 1695, aged just 25. His final command, the HMS Lenox, a seventy-gun, third rate ship of the line, is recorded on the tombstone. The real mystery, however, lies in Bennett’s last will and testament. By the standards of the time, the Bennett family were by no means poor, but the younger John Bennett did not have an extraordinarily distinguished naval career. Yet, upon his death, £500 was spent on his funeral arrangements, tomb and monument in the north aisle of the church – a vast sum.

As you walk towards the St. Margaret’s Centre you will notice a stone fixed to the outside wall of the chancel. It is popular with those seeking quaint epitaphs. It is in memory of Thomas More a church warden who passed away in 1670.

Stay here a while, and his sad fate deplore,
Here lies the body of one Thomas More.
His name was More, but now it may be said
He is no more because he is dead.
And in this place he doth lie sepulchered.

The Curfew Tower

The Grade II listed Curfew Tower, or Fire Bell Gate, was the only part of Barking Abbey to escape demolition during the Dissolution (1540) and the subsequent five centuries of urban growth. It was originally built in 1370 and reconstructed in 1460.

The primary name is thought to derive from the curfew bell, rung at the end of the day. `Fire Bell’ is a similar concept to curfew and would have been an early method of fire prevention. A bell would be rung in the evening to instruct the population of Barking to extinguish their fires before retiring to bed.

On the first floor is the Chapel of the Holy Rood, named for the early twelfth century rood set into the west wall. The rood, depicting the crucifixion of Christ flanked by St. Mary and St. John, is believed to have originated from the Abbey, and is one of only five in the country to be carved of stone. The rood had been an object of veneration for pilgrims since the early medieval period, with special indulgences being bestowed upon them. It has been heavily defaced, with the figure of Christ on the cross the most disfigured of the three carvings. It is thought that this destruction took place during the Reformation.

The interior of the Chapel of the Holy Rood was restored for the first time in 1955. A new altar table was added, as was other furniture including the four shields, or cartouches, in the corners of the tower. These are made of plaster and represent the arms of Barking Urban District Council, Barking Abbey, The Bishop of Chelmsford and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

urther restoration work took place between 2005 and 2006, supported financially by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Heritage of London Trust and the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham.

The North Porch and List of Vicars

Prior to the opening of the St. Margaret’s Centre in 1991, access to the church would have been through the North Porch. This entrance dates to the fifteenth century, and you will notice the doorway is decorated with Tudor Roses.

This area of our church, including parts of the North Aisle, was severely damaged by the fire of 1994, but have since been faithfully restored.

Three marble wall mounted tablets document all recorded Vicars of Barking from Martinus in 1315 to present day. Since 1870, nine have been elevated to Bishops.

You can find out more about our present Vicar, Revd Mark Adams, on our About Us page.